5-Star Danube to the Black Sea

A thousand-mile journey along the mighty Danube

Embark on an exciting thousand-mile journey along the mighty
Danube, cruising through eight countries before arriving at the
Black Sea. Admire the river's full spectrum of vistas - from
Austria's wine regions to the imperial cities of Budapest.

5-Star Danube to the Black Sea 2018Tour Details

To Nuremberg and the Danube

Meet your group and Tour Manager at our dedicated Departure
Office at St Pancras International, then depart on the Eurostar
service to Brussels in Standard Premier Class. From here we
continue by train to Nuremberg, for a night at the Maritim Hotel,
with dinner. On Day 2 we travel by rail to Passau.
Here we join our 'floating hotel' for 15 nights, the MS Amadeus
Brilliant. After settling in with a welcome cocktail, we enjoy our
first dinner on board.

Vienna

After a leisurely morning cruising, we arrive in Vienna this
afternoon. Steeped in history and culture, the Austrian capital is
packed with incredible architecture - from its Imperial past, to
its modern buildings. We admire many of its attractions on a
sightseeing tour, including the famous Ringstrasse and the mighty
St Stephen's Cathedral.

Esztergom

This morning we arrive in Esztergom for an optional tour, one of
Hungary's oldest towns and the capital in the Middle Ages. Here we
see its magnificent basilica, Hungary's largest church. You have
the chance to take an optional excursion to Eszergom-
Szentendre.

Belgrade

We arrive in Serbia today, and moor in Belgrade for a day
exploring the atmospheric capital. The city is a product of many
European empires, and many of their buildings and monuments rub
shoulders with Soviet tower blocks and futuristic skyscrapers.
Following a tour of Belgrade's highlights, you have free time -
perhaps visit the Knez Mihailova.

Vidin

After lunch today we arrive in Vidin. You can choose to spend
your time here at leisure,or you could take an optional excursion
to Belogradchik. Here you can see the famous Belogradchik Rocks, an
interesting rock formation located on the western slopes of the
Balkan Mountains.

Bucharest

We cruise through Romania to Oltenita. From here we enjoy an
excursion to Bucharest, the lively Romanian capital packed with
palaces, remains of medieval houses and 21st century modernist
skyscrapers. Among these is a tangled network of streets and
verdant parks. We discover the many sights on our guided tour of
the attractive city.

The Danube Delta and the Black Sea

Today we cruise through the UNESCO-listed Danube Delta, formed
by the river as it splits into thousands of tributaries on its way
to the Black Sea. Our route takes us along St George's Passage,
where we cruise around the mouth of the Black Sea, mooring at St
George. Here, we are a mere 4km from the end of the Danube, over
2,800 km away from its origins in Germany's Black Forest.

Veliko Tarnovo

Today we arrive in Bulgaria where we have an optional excursion
to Veliko Tarnovo. The city was the cornerstone of Bulgaria's 14th
century empire, and boasts impressive medieval churches and an Old
Town of timber-framed buildings.

The ‘Iron Gate’

Enjoy a leisurely day on board as we cruise through the
spectacular 'Iron Gate' gorge. Relax on deck as we pass through
arguably the finest scenery found on the Danube. Here, towering
mossy cliffs are interspersed with ornate and detailed carvings
hewn from the rock face.

Novi-Sad

After a leisurely morning aboard our ship we reach Novi-Sad, we
enjoy free time here to explore. This evening we reach Vukovar, a
port city at the confluence of the Danube and Vuka Rivers. Here you
can admire the centre or take an optional excursion.

Mohacs

Our first port of call today is the town of Mohacs, close to the
Hungarian border, you could take an optional walking tour here or
an optional excursion to Puszta. After free time to explore, we
return to the ship and continue to Budapest - an ideal opportunity
for you to make use of the ship's leisure facilities.

Budapest

We arrive into Budapest early this morning. Budapest is a city
of two halves divided by the mighty River Danube and sewn together
by a collection of beautiful, elegant bridges. The former
Austro-Hungarian capital's buildings have been restored in what is
now one of Europe's grandest and most picturesque cities. We
discover much of the city's impressive heritage during a guided
tour.

Bratislava

We arrive in Bratislava this afternoon. Slovakia's cultured
capital is a delight to discover, and on today's included city tour
we admire its alluring highlights. onight we enjoy a Captain's Gala
dinner.

Wachau Valley and home

Today we reach Austria's Wachau Valley, a famous wine-making
region. We arrive in the idyllic village of Dürnstein, and from
here you can head to Melk, and visit its magnificent Baroque abbey.
We arrive in Passau on Day 17, we travel by train
to Cologne for an overnight stay and dinner. On Day
18 we take the train to Brussels, for the Eurostar to
London.

Please Note: For
departure GDR1803 on day 17 you will be
staying at the Maritim Konigswinter hotel in
Konigswinter.

Recommended airports

For this tour, we recommend arriving to, and departing from,
London Gatwick or London Heathrow airport (LGW or LHR). London
Gatwick is approximately 30 miles from your start and end point,
and London Heathrow is approximately 19 miles from your start and
end point.

Visa Requirements

It is your responsibility to check and fulfil the passport,
visa, health and immigration requirements applicable to your
itinerary. We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot
travel, or incur any other loss because you have not complied with
any passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.
You agree to reimburse us in relation to any fines or other losses
which we incur as a result of your failure to comply with any
passport, visa, immigration requirements or health formalities.

Departure Times

Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be
found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices
& Availability' button. We write to all booked customers
approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise
the exact departure and return time for their particular group.